MASKED raiders armed with a crowbar burst into a restaurant and demanded cash from the safe.

Three men smashed their way into Old Orleans on the Coliseum at Cheshire Oaks through a fire door at 11.15pm on Sunday.

Brandishing the crowbar, they told a terrified female staff member to hand over an undisclosed amount of money.

And head of Ellesmere Port CID, Detective Inspector Steve Gould, says he cannot rule out the possibility this was the third in a series of robberies committed by the same team of thieves.

He said: 'Staff were locking up for the night when these men stormed in. Two stayed with some of the staff in the restaurant while the third went to the cash office and threatened two other women before stealing a quantity of cash from the safe.

'The way they committed the robbery is very similar to previous offences carried out at the Milestone and Foxfield pubs in recent weeks. If it is the same men, I am concerned that the level of aggression they are using is increasing and someone could get seriously hurt if we don't catch them.'

All the men are white. The one who went to the cash office was dressed in dark clothing and a dark balaclava.

The robber with the crowbar was broad and of muscular build, 5ft 7 to 8ins tall, wearing a black balaclava, a navy blue bomber-style jacket with a faded light blue motif on the right breast pocket and dark blue loose fitting jeans. He is in his early to late twenties.

The third man is 6ft 2ins tall, of less muscular build, wearing a similar dark balaclava, dark jacket and possibly dark jeans.

The robbers made their getaway in a white H-registered Vauxhall Astra which had been stolen earlier from Criccieth Court.

DI Gould said: 'As they drove off the Coliseum they hit a concrete bollard, damaging the car which was then dumped near to the multi-storey car park.

They then ran off through a gap in the hedge and on to the Stanney estate.

'I want to hear from anyone who was in the area of Old Orleans on Sunday evening or who might have seen the car being taken or dumped.'

n Anyone with any information can call Ellesmere Port CID on (0151) 355 4066, or ring Crimestoppers in complete confidence on 0800 555111.